Fortunately, traction, or more specifically lack thereof, will seldom if ever impede a Touareg thanks to Volkswagen's

The highly refined, 4.2-litre (256 cu in) five-valve per cylinder V8 residing beneath the hood of my Offroad Gray tester cooked with 310 horsepower and 302 healthy pound-feet of torque. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

sophisticated 4XMOTION permanent four-wheel-drive (4WD) technology, low-range gearing and adaptive torque distribution. Basically, the techno-drivel means there is never a need to shift the Touareg into 4WD or do anything special to achieve Jeep-like traction, unless, of course, bull-like power and Velcro-like stick is required. Should this be the case, low-range gearing and an electronic differential lock can be activated with a console-mounted dial - it's just that simple.

Despite its cutting-edge off road engineering, most Touaregs will be tackling curbs in mall parking lots more frequently than mud and granite in the hinterland. This SUV has a way of making the daily grind with the rest of the urban hacks fairly tolerable and almost relaxing, thanks to its great visibility, quiet operation, awesome audio and responsive steering and

This SUV has a way of making the daily grind with the rest of the urban hacks fairly tolerable and almost relaxing, thanks to its great visibility, quiet operation, awesome audio and responsive steering and throttle. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

throttle. Yet for all its about-town charm, the Touareg is most at home on the open road where it can freely flex its muscle and show off its agility, and that's just what it did during our 1,000-kilometre (620-mi) week together.

I am one of those drivers who "sets and forgets," so when it comes to cruise control I'm all over it. I set the Touareg's speed at a shade over the legal limit to ensure I wasn't being cheated by an error margin over-representing my true speed. My chosen route led us up and over several long, steep mountain passes, some as high as 1,724 metres (5,656 ft). The Touareg ate up the miles with nary a complaint.